Dappled Cities, GeoffreyO'Connnor, Mildlife @ PhoenixPublic House, Melbourne(17/11/2011)

Mon 21st Nov, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Phoenix Public House has got itself a relatively new and attractive band room that stands out as the swankier cousin of its Sydney Road contemporaries. The dozens of clear bulbs hanging from the room’s ceiling seemed reminiscent of Dappled Cities’ globe suits they used to don, so it was a fitting site for the Sydney band to test out their new material. With an album on the way next year, a very promising return set at Harvest Festival last weekend, and fresh from having supported TV on the Radio the night before, Dappled Cities were certainly full of optimism for their Melbourne fans – a fact that emanated from the night’s set.

A pair of local talents would kick the night off, each with their share of hits and misses. Mildlife was first, and armed with a plethora of dials, switches and one lengthy saxophone sample they initiated things. There was a familiarity to their opening number, the track sounding like Midnight Juggernauts lost in the jungle. Whilst the music could easily be dance-worthy, the few in attendance were happy to stand back and just watch, and the music moulded to that fact as it turned a lot more ambient toward the end. The strange thing about Mildlife, however, was that despite having four members, there was only really one person on stage creating notable volume. The bass did make sense in its own right, but when synth overpowers the subtle guitarist and the drummer is outdone by a simultaneous drum machine, it’s not hard to raise a confused eyebrow.

Geoffrey O’Connor was next and quickly took the synthesizer back home to the 80s, along with an onstage mullet and denim vest courtesy of his keyboardist. With the moody guitar and synthesiser, smoke dispenser and drum machine in full swing, this was a rehash of cheesy 80s lounge music if ever there was one. At first it was kind of novel and funny; even cool with the band’s makeshift light show shining through the smoke. But after a couple of songs the act wore thin very quickly and things turned very much the same, O’Connor’s wandering of the room when singing doing little to salvage the project.

With Dappled Cities set to release their fourth album in the new year, they seemed pretty excited at the prospect of showing off what they’ve been up to of late. The set that followed would showcase plenty of material off that record, beginning with the buoyant pop of the presumably titled Say It Like That. A new song opening the first headline show in ages and those listening seemed to really get into it; strapping on their dancing shoes and showing ample appreciation. Another early new addition, titled Real Life, was a set standout, with a rollicking rock guitar intro and catchy lyrics in the chorus making it a sure set staple in the future.

In comparison to their last releases, the tunes on show were a back flip over Zounds to the vibe of Granddance, with a much more celebratory feel permeating. The best contrast was found when they played Wooden Ships, with its dark, almost brooding sound and Tim Derricourt’s poignant falsetto nestled in the set list between two new pop rockers, each full of smiles and cheer. And that was how the band predominantly were: full of cheer. Every member seemed to be having a genuinely great time on stage, a fact particularly evident during a late show rock out in The Night Is Young At Heart.

Sometimes new material can detract from the enjoyment of band you’re familiar with, but it didn’t prove the case this time around, as Dappled Cities are just naturally fun to watch in the first place, even if the songs are brand new to the ears. In this regard, the absence of more popular numbers like Holy Chord or Vision Bell didn’t seem to bother anyone, as the newies provided a new, revitalised Dappled Cities joy.